The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-27
One of the Most Valuable Docl
ments Ever Put Forth.
The Number of Sheep Now In thO
United States.
Amount of Exports and Imports and
the Value of tho Products.
Comparison OF the American Wool Busi-
ness with that OF Other Coun-
tries-Amount OF Money
Invested.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2B.-Thc printed re-
port Of Col w. 7. Switzlcr, chief of the
bureau Of statistics, on wool and manu-
iacturcs Of wool is now ready for disiribu-
ton, and is considered by the bureau TO
he one Of the most valuable documents 10
has ever put forth. The report makes
with its appendix u volume Of 800 pages.
Its Introductory pages show the impor-,
tancc of the sheep and wool industries OF
the United States, disclose the character
istics Of various kinds of wool, describes
the method of improvement by domestic
culture, and gives q history Of the develop
mcnt oi sheep raising and wool manufact-
uring in this country. II statistical porr
tions cover very fully all matters relating,
10 imports, exports, duties collected, tariHi
imposed by different acts oi Congress,
prices of wool in New York, Philadelphia
and Boston during n series oi years, and
other material necessary 10 dctormina-,
tion OF the effect Of congressional action
upon prices.
The report shows that the number OF
sheep In the United States rose from TO-
600, 900 In 1910 to 81 ,OOO, 900 in 1884, but
declined to li,OOO,OO in 1887. This
southern aud western States, notably in
Texas, aud is attributed In great part TO
the decline in the price Of wool since 1884.
| Great Britain being the leading wool
market OF the world, has always been, tho
rport says, the principal market for our
purchases Of wool. Turkey and Russia
have always been important sources Of
direct supply, hut the Argentine Republic
h now next Ia GUat Britain, our source
Of supply, followed by Australasia. Our
imports oi wool risr from /, 7lb, 6H1 pounds
IN lSS2 Ia lll,O3S,O3O pounds in 1887.
The incpasc In wool imports has about,
kept pace with the growth u our wool
products, both having about doubled since
lSGO.
A s6rics Of tables illustrates the increase
in products and IN impurtatiUns, and tho
relations between the two, ~ iur cNnmule: I
From 1874 tu 1868, lGl 900, ,OOO pounds were
produced aud a. 900 imported, from
! lS1i to 1879, lUs,OOO, 900 were produced
AMI 81, ,01c, ,OO0 imported, iiom 1882 io 1886,
sp1,OOO,0 900 VEN produced and ", O00, 600
imported.
From 1879 10 1891, the annual imports Of
wool la manufactures averaged over ~. 900,
100 in value, ar non than II cents pcrl
capita, while fpIm lSi2 Ia 1871 thuy !
rHchcd over sli,0n,O 600, or ~ cents per I
capita.
The value oi our WOODEN product oi 1850
was 80, ,OOl, 900, In round numhcrs, ami at
our imports. SlD,OOO,OO both together
bving about ~ ~ pcr cnpiia of our popu-
lalion. In 1870 s.ip. 900. ON in value were
produced and $4,000 600 imported, to-
gclhcr being about s. ~ per capita. In
1870 the product reached n ~, ,OO6. 900 and
the impOrtalious Slj. 100. 900. being s. 78
per capita. In 1870 the product had grown
! Ia Sl6i 600 OOOand the imports were valued
nt 81, ,0OO. .cOO, bcingS3 ~ per capita. Thus
while our pruduct uf wOOlcns has increased
since 1850 nearly seven fold ,our imports
have increased about G2 per cent, but tho
consumption pcrcapita has doubled, which,
| the statistician says, indicates In striking
manner the advancement NJ wealth and
/ comfort Ia the style of living among tho
people u this country.
The statistics II imports and exports Of
woolcns la the trade ~ foreign countries
show that the United kingdom II iGTcsacst
in the fur,.ign trade In woolcnr, the i'm
ports during lSSb amounting IN value 10
sinOlO, 80 aud the exports 90 Sll5,OOO,-
On France comes next, with imports of
SinOOl, ,UOO and exports amounting TO s7s,-
OOOO. Germany next, with imports Of
S2i,U0OOO and exports of S5l 600, 600.
There has bccn larpc decline In tho
wooden trade of Great Britain since 1874,
~ shown by the exports, which were M
follows Exports during the five years
from 1870 Ia 1874, S7S7 900, 600 during tho
five ycan from 1880 Ia 1884. S5iS, ,OOO, 600,
showing a decline of S230, ,OOO, 600, or 30
per cent. between the two periods. This
decline the royal commission ON the de-
preston of trade attributes to the high
foreign tariffs, which, Il IL claimed, shut
out the manufacturers Of Great britain
from foreign markets.